Should Older Adults Be Protected from Bad Choices?

During this module, we discussed the controversial question of whether and to what extent older adults should be protected from “bad choices”. Some would argue that older adults should be free to make their own choices regardless of the consequences. Others would argue the opposite considering that society (i.e., Medicare) often bears to cost of “bad choices” (such as hospitalizations due to falls).

With regard to cognitive impairment, at what point should older adults’ freedom to make choices be taken away?

Can (and, in some cases, should) we take away the freedom to make choices in certain domains while preserving choice in other domains? Can you provide examples?